Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Proposal That Banks That Received Bailout Money Fund After School Centers in NY Schools

Friends

After reading a powerful commentary from a friend who heads one of the largest Community Organizations in the Bronx about the growing threat of juvenile diabetes, which is especially acute in the Bronx because our children don't get exercise inside or outside school, I have a proposal to make to every bank headquartered in New York City which received federal bailout funds, beginning with Goldman Sachs

Here's my proposal-

Why don't you take 200 million dollars from the billions of dollars you have assigned to your bonus pools and use it to pay the NYC Department of Education to open the after school and night centers in New York City public schools which were shut during the fiscal crisis of the 70's.

That's right, for less than $200 million dollars, you could open ever elementary school, middle school and high school in the city from 3-5 PM and 7-9 PM for sports, supervised play, dance and excercise classes and the arts. This is what many of had growing up in New York City in the 1950's and 1960's and this is what our children need now, for their physical health, and collective well being

And if any funds are left from that fund, give the money to the Parks Department to hireParks recreation supervisors like Hilton White to run outdoor sports and recreation programs in the City's Vest Pocket Parks!

If you think of this as an investment in the nation's future, it is a much wiser and more cost effective use of your profits than bonuses for your top exectives. Think of thereduction in health care costs and law enforcement that might ensue.

If you believe that this is a worthy proposal, please pass it on far and wide to people ineducation, politics and business.

Sincerely

Mark D NaisonProfessor of African American Studies and HistoryFordham UniversityPrincipal Investigator, Bronx African American History Project